DiscoveringNatural has put together a video for all of you who want to flat twist but can't get the hang of it. This "cheat" is easy to follow and will give you flat twist results without actually flat twisting. The key to this style is to grab big sections. The bigger the sections the bigger the flat twists will appear. This method is great because it's easier on the scalp, which is especially good for children with tender scalps, but can also be used on adults!

Do you have memories of sitting in between your mother’s legs while she parted your hair, oiled your scalp, and styled you up in some plaits and twists, perhaps with pretty clips and bubbles and elastics? Are those memories fond or fearful? For me, they’re all warm and fuzzy. Having my mom wash and braid me up for school was usually something I looked forward to – her hands were gentle, I loved the smell of the African Pride scalp oils she used (remember the yellow ones filled with petroleum and “herbs”?), and we had fun watching TV or talking while she got me ready for the next day of school.

I know that for others, the memories aren’t so sweet. Hair being
scraped back and torn with rough combing, singes from irons used to
“tame” naps, and harsh comments about how tough, nappy, and bad one’s
hair was. I’ve seen the after-effects of negative treatment pass down
much more visibly than the positive – mothers who were told their hair
was “bad” have practiced the same with their own children, especially
their daughters. Seeing 4 year olds with relaxed hair makes me sad.
Hearing mothers talk about how terrible their child’s hair is in front of the child makes
me cringe.

I have heard Black women admit to choosing fathers of
another race in order to ensure that her daughter didn’t have “nappy-ass hair” like she did. I’ve spoken with White mothers who have children with Black men, but have absolutely no clue what to do with their baby’s hair.

There are a ton of blogs and Youtube channels devoted to girls and their curls- -how to style them, dress them up, keep them healthy etc. There is almost no information online devoted to young boys with highly textured hair. What about those of us with little princes who don’t want to chuck up the deuces to that beautiful hair and “just get a fade”? Every blue moon I may see a little boy with locs or cornrows, but almost never free flowing a la Jaden Smith. It's frowned upon to have your son rock his curls after learning how to talk, as the old wives tale goes.

So we all know that infant hair snaps right off if the wind blows too hard, but what about toddler hair. Do you feel like your toddler’s hair is breaking or balding? I know my toddler was and that is why I had to really sit down and see what was causing her hair to snap off instead of grow out long like I thought it should be.

After thinking through our routines and looking at our habits I finally figured out 5 reasons that my baby girl’s hair was more prone to breakage. I definitely wanted to share them because I know I couldn’t be the only mom dealing with toddler hair breakage.

My little girl is growing up in a household where mommy walks around the house with a lopsided kinky twa while simultaneously doing laundry, feeding the unwanted guinea pig, and furiously tapping away at her computer. Her view point of natural hair will be totally different because it is pretty much all she knows. She has never seen mommy perm her hair nor have I ever straightened her hair or complained about her kinks. Mommy has a different mindset towards curls and kinks and it’s one of acceptance and appreciation. So Kenzie is less likely to view her natural curls as a burden or as something that should be altered.

My daughter has never had a perm, but I did! I had a perm for more than 20 years before I decided to transition my hair to natural in 2009. (My daughter’s hair inspired me to transition to natural.) I knew that if I could be patient and figure out how to manage her natural hair, I could certainly do the same with mine.

If you gave your little girl a perm and now regret it, or you've transitioned like me and want to do the same with your daughter, or whatever your situation maybe, I am going to share my transitioning tips and suggestions with you.

With it just being a little over a month into the new school year, you may already find yourself a little lost when it comes to trying new, age appropriate hair styles for your school aged daughters. Don’t fret! I have compiled a list of some of the most popular hairstyles for little girls with natural hair. These work for almost every age group!

The Twist Out

Twist outs are very popular right now and extremely easy to achieve. Twist small to medium sized sections of hair together for a more defined, elongated look or twist large sections together for a more full look.

This braid tutorial is for those who would love to broaden their repertoire of protective styles, using more complicated braiding techniques, but don't know how to braid. The cost of getting braids done professionally can be very expensive, so doing it yourself might be the way to go. If you've watched a handful of tutorials, but are still at a loss, this technique of using colored yarn as a visual, might just help it click!

I'd like to share an essay that I performed in a show called "Listen to Your Mother." The piece is called "princess hair" and it was inspired by my now four-year old who told me she "didn't like her hair" because it wasn't like the princesses she saw on TV. It's an inspirational story of self-love and of acceptance.

I’m inspired to share these books after a recent encounter with a mom; she told me her four-year-old little girl, who has gorgeous, kinky-curly golden coils, was starting to notice and questioning the difference between her hair and other little girls. It was at that moment I remembered all of my insecurities while growing up in a Hispanic neighborhood, where best friend had silky, bone-straight hair which easily grazed her tailbone. The difference for little girls now is the plethora of positive reinforcers to encourage them to be just who they are — beautifully kinky-curly.

Lola has really really REALLY big hair, much bigger than the other kids at her school, but that doesn’t stop her from telling anyone who will listen just how much she LOVES her hair! It´s not always easy being a kid. Designed to boost self-esteem and build confidence, this beautifully illustrated picture book is aimed at boys and girls who may need a reminder from time to time that it’s okay to look different from the other kids at their school.

Every little girl loves to play in Mommy's clothes, shoes, and jewelry. She loves to watch Mom put on her make up and comb her hair. She's looking at you dreaming of the day when she will be able to do it too!

We all know that our children learn best by watching what we do, not what we say. The first step to teaching your daughter how to care for her hair is to establish good hair habits with your hair first. She's always watching you, even when you aren't paying attention.

Easter is right around the corner which means cute dresses and adorable hair-do's to match if you're anything like us! I know how hard it is looking for special occasion hairstyles for little girls with natural hair so I decided to put together a quick post to hopefully inspire your little one's Easter hair-do!

This little girl is awesome! She's a dancer who's been in videos and recently got a shout-out from Beyonce for a video she posted on IG dancing to 'Yonce'. The hair tutorial is the sweetest thing ever! I think the CurlyNikki community with love her!

A 9-year-old girl said this to me a few weeks ago. Instead of accepting the intended compliment, I paused, stood still and stared at her. She had beautiful braids with beads at the end of each strand in coordinating colors. I thought to myself, “Why does she want my hair? Is she not happy with hers?” Then it clicked – I had a young female mind in America once.

Young girls are always comparing themselves to others and aspiring to be something they’re not. I remember pointing to Tia and Tamara on Sister, Sister and telling my mom that I wanted my hair to look like that after my first perm.Read On!>>>

I've used Curlformers on and off for the last 3 years, relying on them heavily in the cooler months when I'm protective styling to give me smoother, longer lasting up-dos. I've learned that you get #WayMoreDoper results with soaking wet hair, small sections (dries faster and sets smoother) and less product. Also, the slippier the leave-in, the better. At any rate, as GiaDiva is my hair twin, I couldn't wait to see how they'd treat her!

Hola Chicas,It's Thursday which means we've officially taken over Essencefor the day!

¡Viva la Revolución!

Check out my latest installment, where I give a mother tips on how to care for her kiddo's hair by sharing Boogie's regimen! Head over there, check it out, 'like it', share it and comment! Also, leave questions of your own for the next article!

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The views expressed on curlynikki.com belong to the blogger Nikki Walton and do not necessarily reflect the views of advertisers, their affiliates or any of the brands discussed or featured on curlynikki.com.